Took last week off because I strained a muscle in my lower back for the umpteenth time in my life. This was another of those times when it got so stiff and painful I thought I slipped a disc. It's still not 100%, but I think it will be by the end of this week.
This old (re)injury of mine got me thinking about how I workout. I absolutely still love kettlebells, and will continue to use them in the future, but it's time to face up to something: I need to focus on flexibility. Furthermore, I want to focus on more natural movement. KB movements are great, and they do a great job of integrating the whole body into each exercise, but I want to go a step further and really get into moving my body as it was made to move.
With all this in mind, I searched ye olde internetes for a good bodyweight only workout. One book kept coming up with stellar reviews: Convict Conditioning. So, I bought the kindle version (20 bucks cheaper than hard copy) and started reading it immediately (yesterday). The reviews are great, and the material seems solid, so I'm going to give bodyweight only training a go. I'm especially intrigued with the bridging portion of the workouts and the author's claims about its effects on spinal health.
Monday-Wednesday-Friday, Convict Conditioning "Good Behavior" program.
Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday-and as needed, Stretching
TBD, Running
Day 1:
Wall Pushups
2x25 (intermediate standard!)
Knee Tucks
2x10 (beginner standard: 1x10, intermediate standard: 2x25)
That's it?! Yep, that's it for today. Those knee tucks are brutal, btw. Even the wall pushups were harder than expected, and these are both only step 1 (each exercise has 10 steps starting at the easiest variation and ending at the hardest). I'm going to do this right: slow and steady. I have years of life ahead of me, and calisthenics done right should provide lifelong strength (according to Convict Conditioning author, and other sources); no need to rush the program.
